by Belle Malory
It was a relief to know Grandpa hadn’t given that order because he thought so low of me, but it also set me on edge. I was still getting used to the idea of magic existing, much less dark magic.
“He didn’t look evil,” I said, thinking of the way Xander’s magic felt. He hadn’t given me bad vibes. Nothing about him struck me as off. Then again, I was no great judge of character. I’d once thought Connor was the world’s most perfect human being. And knowing all of my sister’s faults, I still practically worshiped her. Never in a million years could I have predicted the level of shittiness they both had stooped.
“Most Hollows live in the Underworld. The ones that live amongst Mythonians are notorious for their ability to blend in.” Hazel shrugged. “Of course, it could just be a rumor. Xander is strong, powerful, and he leads House Ares. Jealous students could’ve made it up.”
“Grandpa doesn’t seem like the type to buy into rumors.”
“No, he definitely isn’t.” She twisted one of her curls around her finger, looking down the hall to make sure the coast was clear. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this part, but…”
“But what, Hazel?”
She met my direct gaze and caved. “Several years ago, Xander went missing. At the time, your grandfather was teaching, but he was so torn up about the case that he took time off to assist MEM with the investigation. To be honest, I don’t know much about it except that Xander was gone for three years, and that it drove Mr. Thorne batty that he couldn’t find him.”
“But he’s no longer missing,” I pointed out. “So where was he?”
“Xander never would say, that’s the problem. People suspected he was in the Underworld, being guided and trained by dark mentors. Others think it’s just too personal, and he doesn’t want to talk about it. No one really knows, but one thing is certain. Something went down between your grandfather and the Arius family. He knows more about it than anyone, and based on his reaction back there, it doesn’t look good.”
A cool gust of wind wafted around us, and I shivered. It was becoming clear Mythos was nothing like home. People here weren’t like the friendly, Southern variety I’d been raised around. I needed to keep my guard up.
5
We reached the coast of Autumn Island sooner than I expected, drifting through a thick blanket of fog. Navy-colored cliffs stretched for miles high, expanding into a jagged, formidable wall around the island. Nothing about it was remotely welcoming.
We quickly disembarked, thrown into the midst of Autumn’s busy and chaotic port. Magical beings sped by me at lightning pace. The moment we stepped off the docks, we were ambushed by several fast-talking harpies offering to carry our bags. “Miss, misssss,” one of them squalled to catch my attention. “Only two lixers for you, because you’re such a pretty one.” The half bird, half human winked, flapped his wings to show them off, then reached for my suitcase.
I tightened my grip on the handle. “No, thanks.”
He tried prying it away from me. “Be a good girl and give it here.”
Hazel stepped between us. “Back off, you bloody squawker,” she yelled more forcefully than I’d heard her speak. “Or I’ll report you.”
The harpy scowled, but he did as Hazel ordered. “They’ll take advantage of you if you let them,” she explained.
Noticing what happened, Grandpa took my suitcase and steered me through the noisy crowd. “Stay close, Sheridan.”
“What’s a lixer?” I kept at his heels as we made our way through the hordes of travelers.
“Ancient coins,” he shouted over his shoulder. “Here in Mythos, lixers and wots are the only money that’s worth anything.”
“Never heard of them.”
“They’re enchanted. No one back home recognizes Mythonian money. Think of lixers like twenty dollar bills and wots like hundreds.”
Of course the money would be enchanted too. Why wouldn’t it be?
“In any case,” Grandpa said, pointing to the miles-long uphill climb ahead. “We’ll need help getting into the city, and although they’re a cheap alternative, harpies only carry your things. They can’t carry people.”
The steep stone steps made my stomach drop just thinking of what the climb would be like, let alone the possibility of falling.
“Let me guess. There are no cars or roads either.” That would be far too normal.
“There are roads, but none on the island’s outskirts. Mythonians try to make it as impossible as possible for humans to accidentally stumble upon this place. You’re correct about the cars though. No need for them.”
“Then how are we getting up there?” I said, dreading that hike. It looked like it would take days. “Or did you bring flying broomsticks?”
Grandpa raised one of his bushy brows and smirked. “Glad your sense of humor is returning. As fun as that sounds, no flying broomsticks. We’ll have to rent a winged horse.”
“A wha—” A giant stable loomed up ahead. Several horses were reined to a waiting carriage, two in front and two in back, and several more were saddled.
They weren’t just any horses—they had wings. Real, huge, feathery wings. The horses came in every color of the rainbow too. One was mint green with a cotton candy pink mane. Another was a spotted lavender, its tresses braided with small, white flowers and yellow ribbons. A scarlet one the size of a Clydesdale spread out its wings, glittering with gems. I studied each one in awe, utterly captivated.
Grandpa grinned. “Descendants of Pegasus.”
“Aren’t they beauties?” Hazel said with a dreamy sigh. “There’s a class at the academy that teaches students to train with them.”
Sign. Me. Up.
“Don’t you enjoy riding?” Grandpa said as we headed in the stable’s direction.
Dad had sent Riley and I to horse camp every summer from fourth grade until we hit high school. “I used to. I haven’t ridden in a long time though.”
I loved everything about horses, but mostly, I loved the way they seemed to calm my soul. That dark and violent side of me I unleashed on my sister had always been there, brimming beneath the surface. Even when I was young. But when I was around horses, it vanished completely.
“You’d probably enjoy the class Hazel mentioned.”
Understatement of the century. “Yes, I would.”
As we waited for Grandpa to arrange our transport, I roamed the stable to get a better look at the Pegasus descendants. Up close, they were even more ethereal, carrying a sense of intelligence in their gazes I’d never seen in regular horses. They were all so magnificent, it was hard to believe they were real.
I stopped in front of a gauzy white one. Her wings were almost translucent; when the sunlight hit them, they looked like glittering diamonds. I bet in the sky, she looked like a floating cloud. “Beautiful,” I whispered.
“I agree.”
I nearly jumped out of my skin. I spun around and froze on the spot.
Him.
The same gladiator Grandpa explicitly warned me to stay away from. And here I was, not staying away from him. Good grief, if Grandpa found me like this, I was done for.
Xander Arius took a step toward me. “Have you ever flown one?”
“Excuse me?” I couldn’t focus on his question, too caught up in his presence, his overall gorgeousness, and the way he continued slowly moving toward me.
He nodded to the white horse I’d been gawking at. “She’s a dovelith, the oldest known breed. We can trace their ancestry back to ancient Mesopotamia.” His voice was deep and honeyed, something about the sound pulling at my insides like an instrument. Apparently he overcame whatever made him so speechless back on the boat and transferred it to me.
I nervously eyed the hallways. “No, I’ve never flown one before.”
He was suddenly in front of me, and I could feel his magic again, stirring up parts of me it shouldn’t be stirring. Maybe the guy was a Hollow after all, and this was how they seduced their prey. With strange, addictive magic. It made
me feel light and warm all over, like I’d found sunshine in the middle of a blizzard.
“Sheridan Thorne, right?” He leaned against the stall door, his gaze drifting over me with the same appreciation he had for the horse.
I swallowed, uneasy with the way he was looking at me. “That’s right.” I took a step back to try to think straight. “And you’re Alexander Arius,” I said, making it clear I knew enough about him.
“Guilty.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’ve been warned to stay away from you.”
There was no point in beating around the bush. I needed to get rid of this guy ASAP—before Grandpa found me and decided to take me to the Mythonian prison instead of the academy.
“You have?” He sounded amused. “I’m not surprised.”
“Apparently you have a bad rep.”
He shrugged. “Depends on who’s asking.”
Footsteps sounded from down the hall. Someone was coming, and quickly too.
Before I had time to panic, Xander’s arm snaked around my waist. He yanked and pulled me into a nearby empty stall. I was one second away from screaming bloody murder, but I stopped short. His blue eyes pleading, he held a finger up to his mouth. “Please,” he whispered, in the same way a guy on death row would beg for his life.
What did this dude want?
He looked over the stall door to make sure the coast was clear. “Sorry for the extreme measures,” he said, gesturing to our surroundings. “But I had to see you again. I had to be sure.”
“Be sure of what?”
“Of you.”
“Be sure…of me?” What the hell did that mean?
“Why are you in Mythos?” he said, still acting like he knew me.
I pressed my lips together. It wasn’t any of his business, but he’d find out anyway, especially if he was a student at Arcadia. “School.”
“Right.” He nodded, as if that made perfect sense. “Of course.”
This was getting really weird.
“What is this about?” I said, redirecting him back to the reason he dragged me in here. “Do you know me?”
“Of course—you’re Daniel Thorne’s daughter.”
He did know me. Or at least, he’d heard of me anyway.
Those magnetic eyes of his locked with mine. I felt it again, his magic, whirling around like a blanket of sunlight as he intently studied my face. “It’s unreal,” he said softly. “You look like her.”
I swallowed, trying to find my voice. “Like…who?”
Voices sounded from a few stalls down. “Sheridan?” My grandfather called out. “Where are you, my girl? We’re all set to go.”
Xander flinched. “Shit.”
My thoughts exactly. Grandpa couldn’t catch me here like this.
“I’ll find you later, at Arcadia,” he said, in a rush to leave. “I’ll explain everything.”
“Wait.” I grabbed his arm just as he was slipping out the stall door. Sparks of energy passed through me. Xander glanced down at my hand on his skin, and I immediately let go. “Who do I look just like?”
He stared at me hard before answering. “Your mother.”
My breath hitched.
My mother was dead.
She passed away shortly after Riley and I were born. There was no way he could possibly know what she looked like. I wanted to press him for more, but he was long gone before I had the chance.
6
The flight into the capital was a waking dream. The winged horses carried us in a cushioned carriage, soaring through the clouds with more elegance than I could’ve ever imagined. No wonder the original mages were revered as gods. This kind of life could make anyone feel like a god.
Down below, red and gold grass blanketed the ground, along with clusters of oak and maple trees. The air was crisp and fresh, carrying scents of fallen leaves and damp earth. Once we reached the city, the land turned into all cobbled streets, towering white temples, and open-air theaters, somehow managing to look ancient and modern at the same time.
I would’ve enjoyed the ride more had I not been thinking about what Xander said the entire time. I wanted to ask Grandpa about it, but then I would have to explain how I’d already disobeyed his order to stay away from the guy, and I knew that wouldn’t go down very well.
Once we landed, we dropped Hazel off with her older sister at a huge market called the Agora. Before leaving, she gave me a tight hug. “I’m staying with my sister’s family over the weekend, but I’ll meet up with you as soon as I get to campus.”
I was a little sad to see my only friend go, but there were several things I had to get done before school started anyway, including that meeting with the Fates.
After leaving the Agora, Grandpa and I ventured further downtown to the grandiose parliament buildings made of tall Grecian columns. Just the sight of them was intimidating, and the people even more so. Mythonians were unlike any other people I’d ever known. Like their city, they were a mixture of ancient and modern. The way they spoke often sounded old-school, and they used magic everywhere we went. We passed a group of kids playing a game of magical hop-scotch where the chalk kept shifting, morphing into a staircase that lifted into the air. A silver-haired man used a gust of wind to open a door for me. And when I needed to check in for my appointment with the Fates, the receptionist spelled a rose into a pen.
Not gonna lie—it was overwhelming. Knowing magic was possible was one thing. Being around it, in the heart of Mythos, was another.
“Magic is only a transference of energy,” Grandpa explained after I let out a long, telling breath. “We are capable of limitless untapped energy, right here,” he said, patting the center of his chest.
“But there are so many different kinds.”
He nodded. “It is as unique and different as people are. Don’t worry, you’ll figure out how to harness yours soon enough.”
I hoped he was right. I’d rather not set any more houses on fire, if I could help it.
The room was circular and empty. Every little sound echoed throughout the space. In the center of the white marble floor, there was a single red circle, similar to a bullseye on a dartboard. Grandpa and I stood inside that red circle, and we waited for the Fates to arrive. Three wooden chambers were perched above us, where the sisters would enter and take their seats. The energy in this room was strong, as strong as it was at the portal. I played with the charms on my bracelet nervously. This place reminded me of a courtroom, and I got the feeling I was about to be put on trial.
A spotlight shone overhead, and one over each chamber as well. The Fates entered, one by one, each wearing long white robes and matching headwraps. As they took their seats, they announced their names.
“Past,” said the one on my left. Her eyes were clouded with cataracts, her skin wrinkled and weathered with age spots. I wondered just how old she was.
“Present,” said the next, who appeared in the chamber directly in front of me. She was dressed exactly the same as Past, but she appeared younger. Her skin was vibrant and supple, her eyes clear and healthy.
“Future,” said the final Fate, appearing in the chamber at my right. Her eyes were also clear, but they were an odd silver color that pierced straight through me.
“Let’s begin,” said Present, and she banged a gavel, the sound echoing loudly throughout the room. I blinked. I might be right about this being a trial.
“Name?” Present called out.
Grandpa nudged me with his elbow.
“Ah, it’s Sheridan—”
“Speak up, child,” Past bellowed, leaning closer to the edge of her chamber. “These ears can’t hear like they used to.”
I raised my voice several notches higher. “Sheridan Adelina Thorne.”
“Noted,” Past replied. “Reason for today’s hearing?”
Thankfully, my grandfather took over from there. “My granddaughter, a descendant of Ares, would like to enroll in Mythos Academy. With your approval, of course.”
Past nodded once, then went eerily still. “An incident has happened, I see.”
I glanced over at Grandpa as an understanding dawned on me. Past wasn’t just her namesake. She could literally see into my past, and if that were the case, the others could see my present and future.
Present spoke up next. “The child is angry.” She stared down at me, her tone sharp. “She is full of repressed rage.”
I inhaled.
I was angry. I’ve been battling it for years, but she made it sound so extreme.
“A temporary emotion,” Grandpa assured her. “She had a fallout with her sister—”
“There is nothing temporary about it,” Past said, clicking her tongue. “She hides it well, but she’s carried that anger her entire life.”
Grandpa gave me a wary glance, frowning, but continued on. “I believe the academy will provide a beneficial change.”
Present nodded. “Yes, I can feel her affinity for our people. She already is more at ease in Mythos than she was back on the mainland.” She tilted her head to the side. “And yet…she still longs for home.”
I swallowed. I hated the way Present could see right through me, as if I were transparent as glass.
“Why do you wish to return home, child?” she asked me.
There was no point in denying it. “My dad. He ah, needs me. He recently had a stroke, and I’m afraid if I’m not there…” I couldn’t finish the sentence, too choked up to find the right words.
She went silent. It was a long time before any of the Fates spoke again, each second ticking by slower than the last. My insides churned. I wanted to go back home, but at the same time, I didn’t want to leave either.
Future finally spoke. Her voice sounded distant and hollow, almost an echo of the real thing. “I don’t foresee any immediate danger in your father’s future. Yours, however, is uncertain.”
